Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west- central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; th ...

-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer.

Early life

Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a young age. His grandfather was a

griot A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. The griot is a repos ...

– a West African singer of praise and storyteller – and percussionist, as his mother was a singer. When he was four years old, Bona started to play the

balafon The balafon is a gourd-resonated xylophone, a type of struck idiophone. It is closely associated with the neighbouring Mandé, Senoufo and Gur peoples of West Africa, particularly the Guinean branch of the Mandinka ethnic group, but is now ...

. At the age of five, he began performing at his village church. Not being wealthy, Bona made many of his own instruments: including flutes and guitars (with cords strung over an old motorcycle tank). His talent was quickly noticed, and he was often invited to perform at festivals and ceremonies. Bona began learning to play the guitar at the age of 11, and in 1980, aged just 13, he assembled his first ensemble for a French jazz club in

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is the comm ...

. The owner befriended him and helped him discover jazz music, in particular that of

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

, which inspired Bona to switch his focus to the electric bass.

Career

Bona emigrated to Germany at the age of 22 to study music in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...

, soon relocating to France, where he furthered his studies in music. While in France, he regularly played in various jazz clubs, sometimes with players such as Manu Dibango,

Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Biography Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village o ...

Jacques Higelin Jacques Joseph Victor Higelin (; 18 October 1940 – 6 April 2018) was a French pop singer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. Early life Higelin was born on 18 October 1940. His father, Paul, a railway worker and musician of Alsatian de ...

and

Didier Lockwood Didier Lockwood (11 February 1956 – 18 February 2018) was a French violinist. He played in the French rock band Magma in the 1970s, and was known for his use of electric amplification and his experimentation with different sounds on the electri ...

. In 1995, Bona left France and established himself in New York, where he still lives and works. In New York he played bass guitar with artists including

Joe Zawinul Josef Erich Zawinul ( '; 7 July 1932 – 11 September 2007) was an Austrian jazz and jazz fusion keyboardist and composer. First coming to prominence with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, Zawinul went on to play with Miles Davis and to b ...

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. Early life Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He w ...

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

and

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was born on N ...

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ense ...

, Chaka Khan,

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also ra ...

, and

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the ''Modern D ...

. In 1998, Bona was the Musical Director on

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an internat ...

's European Tour. His debut solo album, ''Scenes from My Life'', was released in 1999. He has also been prominently featured in

Big Band albums, as well as many other albums by various top-tier jazz musicians. In 2002 Bona went on a world tour with the

Pat Metheny Group The Pat Metheny Group was an American jazz band founded in 1977. The core members of the group were guitarist, composer and bandleader Pat Metheny; and keyboardist and composer Lyle Mays, who was in the group at its inception. Other long-standing ...

. The release of the successful ''

Speaking of Now ''Speaking of Now'' is the tenth studio album by the Pat Metheny Group. It was released in 2002 by Warner Bros. In 2003 the group was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. ''Speaking of Now'' marks the first appearances of dr ...

'' album that year had marked a profound change in the group's direction by adding younger musicians to the band, notably with Bona as bassist, vocalist, guitarist and percussionist, along with drummer Antonio Sánchez and trumpet player

Cuong Vu Cuong Vu (born 19 September 1969) is a Vietnamese-American jazz trumpeter. In addition to his own work as a bandleader, Vu was a member of the Pat Metheny Group. Biography Born in Saigon on September 19, 1969, Vu immigrated to Seattle with his ...

. In 2005 Bona released his fourth solo album ''

Tiki In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small wooden ...

'', which included a collaboration with

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...

on one track, entitled "''Please Don't Stop.''" The album was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the

49th Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples Ce ...

. He held a professorship of jazz music at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

. Between 2015 and 2020, he owned, together with restaurateur Laurent d'Antonio, the Club Bonafide, a jazz club in New York. Richard Bona's music took on a distinctive Afro-Cuban flavor with the 2016 release of the Heritage album with Cuban band Mandekan Cubano. The album was released under

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

' Qwest label. In December 2021 Richard Bona was strongly criticized on social networks after the publication of a video where he invites to open "another war front in Cameroon" and to "burn" a private television channel deemed close to the power of Paul Biya.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Extended plays

As guest

With

* ''Voices'' (Atlantic, 2001) * ''These Times'' (ESC, 2003) * ''Who Let the Cats Out?'' (Heads Up, 2006) * ''Big Neighborhood'' (Heads Up, 2009) * ''All Over the Place'' (Heads Up, 2012) With Sadao Watanabe * ''Sadao 2000'' (Polydor/Verve, 2000) * ''Wheel of Life'' (Verve, 2003) * ''"One for You" Sadao & Bona Live'' (JVC, 2005) With

Kazumi Watanabe is a Japanese guitarist. Other guitarists such as Luke Takamura and Sugizo have cited him as an influence. Career Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. He released his first albu ...

* ''Mo' Bop'' (EWE, 2003) * ''Mo' Bop II'' (AWS, 2004) * ''Mo' Bop III'' (EWE, 2006) * ''Acoustic Flakes'' (EWE, 2009) With

* '' My People'' (ESC, 1996) – recorded between 1992–96 * The Zawinul Syndicate, ''World Tour'' (ESC, 1998) CD– live * '' Faces & Places'' (ESC, 2002) – recorded between 2001–02 With others *

, ''An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Friends'' (Island, 1997) *

BélO Jean Bélony Murat (born 29 October 1979, known by his stage name BélO) is a Haitian composer and guitarist. The songs in his first album ''Lakou trankil'' (''Quiet Streets'') explain and reflect the problems Haitians face. BélO is popular in Eu ...

, ''Reference'' (Aztec Musique, 2008) *

, ''Irreplaceable'' (GRP, 2003) *

, ''Hangin' in the City'' (ESC, 2001) *

Regina Carter Regina Carter (born August 6, 1966) is an American jazz violinist. She is the cousin of jazz saxophonist James Carter. Early life Carter was born in Detroit and was one of three children in her family. She began piano lessons at the age of t ...

, ''Rhythms of the Heart'' (Verve, 1999) * Andre Ceccarelli, ''Ultimo'' (Universal/EmArcy, 2012) *

Mino Cinelu Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * ...

, ''Mino Cinelu'' (EmArcy, 1999) *

, ''Spaces Revisited'' (Shanachie, 1997) *

Corin Curschellas Corin Curschellas (; born 2 July 1956) is a Swiss singer-songwriter, vocalist (jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its r ...

, ''Goodbye Gary Cooper'' (Make Up, 1999) *

Chico DeBarge Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge (born June 23, 1966) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and musician. DeBarge was formally a member (for their final album) of the family musical group DeBarge. As a solo artist he scored a 1986 US Top For ...

, ''Addiction'' (Kedar, 2009) *

Robert Dick Robert Dick (January 1811 – 24 December 1866), was a Scottish geologist and botanist. Life He was born at Tullibody, in Clackmannanshire. His father was an officer of excise in nearby Alloa. At the age of thirteen, after receiving a good ...

, ''Jazz Standards On Mars'' (Enja, 1997) * Coreon Du, ''Binario Da Banda'' (2014) *

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian

Jonathan Elias Jonathan Elias (born 1956) is an American composer best known for his film soundtracks. Background Elias was born in New York City in 1956. He is of Jewish-Hungarian background. Elias started playing piano at the age of six, and was composin ...

, ''Prayer Cycle: Path to Zero'' (Across the Universe, 2011) *

Bill Evans (saxophonist) William D. Evans (born February 8, 1958) is an American jazz saxophonist, who was a member of the Miles Davis group in the 1980s and has since led several of his own bands, including Push and Soulgrass. Evans plays tenor and soprano saxophones ...

, ''The Other Side of Something'' (Intuition, 2007) *

Bela Fleck Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara *Bela, Dang, in Nepal *Bela, Janakpur, ...

, ''Throw Down Your Heart'' (Rounder, 2009) *

Guaco Guaco, huaco, vejuco and bejuco are terms applied to various vine-like Central American, South American, and West Indian climbing plants, reputed to have curative powers. Several species in the genus ''Mikania'' are among those referred to as gua ...

, ''Bidimensional'' (Producciones Guaqueros, 2017) *

Anna Maria Jopek Anna Maria Jopek (born 14 December 1970) is a Polish vocalist, songwriter, and improviser. She represented Poland in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Ale jestem Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, r ...

, ''ID'' (EmArcy, 2008) *

D. D. Jackson Robert Cleanth Kai-Nen "D. D." Jackson (born January 25, 1967) is a Canadian–American jazz pianist and composer. His work as a leader or co-leader appears on 13 CDs. He won the Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album – Instrumental in 20 ...

, ''Anthem'' (RCA Victor, 2000) * Bob James, ''Joy Ride'' (Warner Bros., 1999) * Joe, ''Signature'' (563 Entertainment, 2009) * Joe, ''DoubleBack: Evolution of R&B'' (563 Entertainment, 2013) *

Eric Le Lann The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ai ...

, ''Cap Frehel'' (Musidisc, 1992) *

Lionel Loueke Lionel Loueke (born 27 April 1973) is a guitarist and vocalist born in Benin. He moved to Ivory Coast in 1990 to study at the National Institute of Art. Biography Loueke grew up in what he has described as a family of poor intellectuals in the W ...

, ''Mwaliko'' (Blue Note, 2010) * Lura, ''Heranca'' (Lusafrica, 2015) * Christophe Mae, ''La Vie D'artiste'' (Parlophone, 2019) * Maria Markesini, ''Kosmo Etcetera Now'' (KTD, 2009) *

Hector Martignon Hector Martignon is a Colombian pianist and composer of Italian descent living in New York City. Two of Martignon's albums have been nominated for a Grammy Award: Refugee (2007) and Second Chance (2010). Martignon is known for crossbreeding the i ...

, ''Refugee'' (Zoho, 2007) *

Keiko Matsui , is a Japanese keyboardist and composer, specializing in smooth jazz and New-age music. Biography Keiko Matsui was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother, Emiko, took her to her first piano lesson in the June following her fifth birthday. Japanese t ...

, ''Moyo'' (Stomp, 2008) *

Frank McComb Frank McComb (born July 15, 1970) is a soul singer and record producer. He has collaborated with Prince, Chaka Khan, Will Smith, Najee, Branford Marsalis, George Duke, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Phyllis Hyman, Gamble and Huff, Patrice Rushen, Lalah ...

, ''Love Stories'' (Columbia, 2000) *

, ''Beyond Words'' (Blue Note, 2002) *

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progr ...

, ''Speaking of Now'' (Warner Bros., 2002) * Pat Metheny, ''The Way Up'' (Nonesuch, 2005) *

Jane Monheit Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977"Jane Monheit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 33. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2001. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2017-05-07.) is an American jazz and pop singer. Early life Monheit was bo ...

, ''Come Dream with Me'' (N-Coded, 2001) *

Les Nubians Les Nubians is a French musical duo, composed of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, France. In 1985, the sisters moved with their parents to Chad. Seven years later, they returned to Bordeaux, France, and began singing a cappella, p ...

, ''One Step Forward'' (Virgin, 2003) *

, ''Word of Mouth Revisited'' (Heads Up, 2003) * Jaco Pastorius, ''The Word Is Out!'' (Heads Up, 2006) *

Danilo Perez Danilo is a given name found in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Serbian. Notable people with the name Danilo include: Athletes Footballers * Danilo (footballer, born 1979), Brazilian footballer Danilo de Andrade * Danilo (footballer, born 1980 ...

, ''Panafrica'' (Verve, 2001) *

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer. Biography Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and he ...

, ''Beautiful Life'' (Concord, 2013) *

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born on January 11, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, United States. At the age of eight he started play ...

, ''Smoke 'n' Mirrors'' (Peak, 2006) * Renee Rosnes, ''Art & Soul'' (Blue Note, 1999) *

Kamil Rustam Kamil Rustam is an American guitarist, composer, arranger, songwriter and producer whose musical career has made known as a prolific musician in many different styles. Rustam was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and moved at an early age to Pa ...

, ''Cosmopolitain'' (Can U Feel It, 2017) *

Philippe Saisse Philippe Saisse is a French jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and arranger. Career He was born in Marseille and raised in Paris. After studying at the Conservatoire de Paris he won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Mus ...

, ''Halfway 'Til Dawn'' (GRP, 1999) *

Soldier String Quartet The Soldier String Quartet was a string quartet, founded by composer and violinist Dave Soldier, that specialized in performing a fusion of classical and popular music. The quartet proved a training ground for many subsequent experimental classica ...

, ''Inspect for Damaged Gods'' (Mulatta, 2004) *

Joseph Tawadros Joseph Tawadros (born 6 October 1983) is an Egyptian-born Coptic Australian multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso. Tawadros has won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album five times: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020. and 2021. Biography His fami ...

, ''Chameleons of the White Shadow'' (ABC, 2013) *

Jacky Terrasson Jacky Terrasson (born November 27, 1965) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Background Terrasson's mother is African-American from Georgia, and his father is French. From his parents he heard classical music as a child. He began piano lesson ...

, '' What It Is'' (Blue Note, 1999) * Huong Thanh, ''Dragonfly'' (ACT, 2001) * Two Siberians, ''Out of Nowhere'' (Heads Up, 2005) *

Victor Wooten Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988 and a member of the band SMV with two other ...

, ''Palmystery'' (Heads Up, 2008)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bona, Richard 1967 births Living people American jazz bass guitarists American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American funk musicians Pat Metheny Group members 20th-century bass guitarists 21st-century American bass guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Zawinul Syndicate members The Eleventh House members